I was on a walk this morning and it suddenly struck me just how much core, distinctive Mormon doctrine has virtually disappeared from modern-day Mormonism. A few examples: Gift of tongues: In the early days of the Mormon church, the Gift of Tongues meant exactly what it means in today’s modern Christian circles – people

What in the world has made religion such a fixed and compelling part of human existence? In my experience, people are religious for one or more of the following reasons: Birth: They are born into it, and thus are indoctrinated to believe and obey at a very young age by their parents, extended family, and

A few things we learn from the psychology literature: One’s sexual orientation is generally not a choice, and acceptance of one’s sexuality is associated with health and well-being. (One reference: Navigating Sexual and Religious Identity Conflict: A Mormon Perspective) Religious participation is also generally associated with well-being, unless the church one attends is perceived to be an

Journal of Counseling Psychology: Sexual Orientation Change Efforts among Current or Former LDS Church Members Close to 70% of LGBT Mormons attempt to change their sexual orientation. Even though we usually think of psychotherapy as the main way of attempting change, the two most common and damaging methods of attempting change are: 1) personal righteousness (e.g., prayer,